Houston Ballet will unveil a new "Sylvia," the Wonder Woman of dance, next season

Molly Glentzer
| on
February 9, 2018

Ballet's version of Wonder Woman is coming to the Wortham Theater Center next season -- assuming it is open again -- when Houston Ballet unveils "Sylvia," the latest full-length production by artistic director Stanton Welch. The company's other story ballets will represent strong women of all ages, from the ingenue of "Coppelia" to the tragic "Marie" to the ebullient "Merry Widow." Also coming are a program of premieres and a celebration of Jerome Robbins.
Media: Houston Ballet

Houston Ballet could use a Wonder Woman about now. Or two or three.

Artistic director Stanton Welch is calling a few toe-shoe-clad superheros to the rescue for next season, hoping to help the company recover from a year-long odyssey without its home stage at the Hurricane Harvey-damaged Wortham Theater Center, which is under reconstruction until at least September.

For decades the ballet season has opened on the first Thursday of September; and while Welch hopes the Wortham will be back in business by then, he did not want to risk having to shift shows again if it is not.

Photo: Claire McAdams, Houston Ballet

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Principal ballerina Karina Gonzalez is featured in a promotional photograph for the world premiere of Stanton Welch's "Sylvia," a co-production between Houston Ballet and the Australian Ballet.

Photo: Claire McAdams, Houston Ballet

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Nozomi Iijima, featured in a promotional image for Stanton Welch's "Marie," has returned to Houston Ballet after performing two years in Europe.

Photo: Claire McAdams, Houston Ballet

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Jessica Collado appears in a promotional image for "The Merry Widow," one of four 'strong-woman' ballets on Houston Ballet's 2019 schedule.

Jerome Kaplan's Act I scenic design for Stanton Welch's "Sylvia," which premieres Feb. 21, 2019. The production also features projections by Wendell K. Harrington and lighting by Lisa J. Pinkham.

Photo: Houston Ballet

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Jerome Kaplan's Act I scenic design for Stanton Welch's "Sylvia," which premieres Feb. 21, 2019. The production also features projections by Wendell K. Harrington and lighting by Lisa J. Pinkham.

Photo: Houston Ballet

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Jerome Kaplan's Act I scenic design for Stanton Welch's "Sylvia," which premieres Feb. 21, 2019. The production also features projections by Wendell K. Harrington and lighting by Lisa J. Pinkham.

Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle

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Choreographer Justin Peck returns to Houston Ballet in 2019 to create next season's only new outside commission.

Photo: Amitava Sarkar, Houston Ballet

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Melody Mennite and Connor Walsh in Aszure Barton's "Angular Momentum." Houston Ballet will present the company premiere of Barton's "Come In" during its "Premieres" mixed rep May 21-24, 2019.

Photo: Amitava Sarkar, Houston Ballet

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Houston Ballet will perform "The Concert (or the Perils of Everybody)" during its Jerome Robbins celebration in 2019, on a program that also includes "Fancy Free" and the company premiere of "The Cage."

Photo: Amitava Sarkar, Houston Ballet

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Karina Gonzalez and Chun Wai Chan in a recent performance of Jiri Kylian's "Petite Mort." Houston Ballet will dance Kylain's "In Dreams" for the first time in 2019.

"The Nutcracker" is currently slated to open at the Wortham, as is customary, the day after Thanksgiving. The real fireworks don't begin until late February, 2019, when Welch unveils his new "Sylvia."

Best known for its lovely music, written in 1876 by Leo Delibes, the ballet conveys the story of a mythical huntress' love for a mortal shepherd. Welch thinks of its lead character as ballet's version of the DC Comics superhero. Like Wonder Woman, Sylvia is related to the classical gods. (Although in the fierce department, she may have more in common with Xena, the warrior princess: the ballerina who portrays her must master sword fighting.)

Although "Sylvia" originated in 19th century Paris, the ballet wasn't popular until the 1950s, when Sir Frederick Ashton recreated it for the Royal Ballet. John Neumeier and Mark Morris have also choreographed versions.

"It's sort of like 'Raymonda' or 'La Bayadère' in that it has a history, but it's not something many people have seen," Welch said. "And it's a nice story to study. It's great to delve into something with a wealth of research options."

While other choreographers drew their "Sylvia" characters from Roman mythology, Welch turned instead to the Greeks: His Sylvia is the nymph of the goddess Artemis. His three-act production will have a big cast, with three intertwined love stories that provide a number of meaty roles for characters that include Orion, Eros and Psyche.

Jerome Kaplan's sets and costumes, which Welch describes as "very modern," will adapt to different environments without changes to the choreography. That's because "Sylvia" is co-produced by the Australian Ballet, which performs in multiple theaters. But such a design might have come in handy during the recent holidays, when Welch had to re-stage parts of "The Nutcracker" for shows at Smart Financial Centre and Hobby Center. Projection designer Wendall K. Harrington and lighting designer Lisa J. Pinkham are also collaborating on "Sylvia."

Next season's other full length ballets represent women of all ages. The company will revive Ben Stevenson's long-dormant and fun-hearted "Coppelia,"about a mischievious girl who creates havoc in a dollmaker's shop. Welch's "Marie," depicting the rise and fall of Marie Antoinette; and Ronald Hynd's delightful "Merry Widow," also provide great roles for the company's ballerinas.

More predatory strong women fill Jerome Robbins' "The Cage," which Houston Ballet will perform for the first time. That challenging work shares a bill with the much lighter-hearted audience favorites "Fancy Free" and "The Concert (or the Perils of Everybody)," to honor the centennial of the great American choreographer's birth.

A strong woman choreographer returns for the season's other mixed bill: Aszure Barton will adapt a work she created for Mikhail Baryishnikov in 2006 for 13 of Houston Ballet's men. "Come In" shares a bill with a new work by Justin Peck (the season's only outside commission) and the company premiere of Jirí Kylián's 1983 "Dream Time."

Both mixed rep programs have abbreviated schedules, running for just four days.

Welch said his 60 dancers won't be idle in the fall. They will get in ample stage time with tours to the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in August and Dubai in October.

Welch also might add a few other Houston projects to the schedule — although not at the Wortham — just to keep the company more "present" in its hometown until it is once again settled.

"It's amazing how quickly people forget you," he said.

"The Nutcracker," perennially Houston Ballet's budget-maker, will be more important than ever. Ticket sales were weak for the production's recent hometown tour, especially for the post-holiday shows at Hobby Center. And moving all of this season's shows around created extra expenses.

Welch is certain the ballet will end its current fiscal year in the red. He will attend a Houston First presentation Monday to learn the latest status of the Wortham. He hopes the theater's re-opening will not be delayed again.

And if it is?

"I'm okay with turning lemons into lemonade," he said, "but that part I cannot even think about."